FMS Foundation Newsletter
January/February 2003, Volume 12 No. 1
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F M S F O U N D A T I O N N E W S L E T T E R (e-mail edition)
January/February 2003 Vol. 12 No. 1
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ISSN #1069-0484. Copyright (c) 2003 by the FMS Foundation
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The FMSF Newsletter is published 6 times a year by the
False Memory Syndrome Foundation. The newsletter is
mailed to anyone who contributes at least $30.00. Also
available at no cost on www.FMSFonline.org
1955 Locust Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103-5766
Phone 215-940-1040, Fax 215-940-1042
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IN THIS ISSUE:
Legal Corner The next issue will be
From Our Readers March/April 2003
Conference Tapes Information
Bulletin Board
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Dear Friends,
A new year invites comparisons. In January of 1993, the country
was still trying to make sense of FMS. A large number of families were
being devastated. Legal cases against parents abounded with no other
evidence than a claim of recovered repressed memory. Media reports
reflected unskeptical belief in the stories of abuse. These abuse
stories were constructed on a trauma model: 1) The abuse was so
traumatic that it led to memory loss (repression, traumatic amnesia,
dissociation). 2) The forgotten memories leaked in some mysterious way
and caused symptoms. 3) Therapists could tell from the symptoms that a
past trauma had occurred even if the person was unaware of it. 4)
Therapists had special powers to uncover the memories. 5) A person
would heal after recovering the memories.
A decade later the climate is changed. Although it is still
difficult for many to grasp the ease with which almost any person may
come to believe something for which there is no evidence, much is now
known about the causes and spread of the FMS phenomenon. Almost all
introductory psychology textbooks include a section on false memories.
Scholarly articles and media documentaries about false memories are
readily available. Only a few new families contact the FMSF with
reports of recent accusations, and many families are now concerned
with reconciliation or exoneration.
Legal cases based on claims of recovered repressed memories,
however, have again exploded all over the country, after showing some
decline in number since the heyday in 1993. By and large, these suits
seem to be riding in the wake of the avalanche of clergy-abuse cases
that have come to light in the past year. The scandal involving clergy
abuse is based primarily on the inadequate response of the Catholic
Church to reports of abuse of adolescent boys made at the time, cases
in which memory and the facts of abuse are not an issue.
It remains to be seen how the current crop of "tag-along"
repressed memory claims will be resolved. On the one hand, scientific
evidence shows the need for great caution in evaluating claims based
solely on recovered memory evidence. On the other hand, passions are
running high and, even in the courts, emotion sometimes overwhelms
reason. In the legal section of this issue, for example, you can read
that the Louisiana Supreme Court has opened the door wide for
acceptance of repressed memory cases. As Bob Herbert recently noted,
"when a desire is strong enough it can overwhelm such flimsy stuff as
facts and truth." [1]
At a recent conference in Boston, Richard McNally, Ph.D., [2]
reviewed some of the problems with the trauma model and emphasized the
many ways in which research data do not support it. For example, the
model assumes the memory will be banished from awareness, but most
abused people remember it. The model assumes that (a) the more
traumatic the incident, the more likely it will be forgotten and (b)
the more frequent the trauma, the easier to forget. Yet these two
beliefs go against all psychological research. He noted that the model
says that remembering the abuse aids in healing; yet this has never
been shown empirically.
McNally also described new research that seems to bury other
beliefs associated with the trauma model. He noted that Gail Goodman
and colleagues [3] have studied 175 subjects with legally documented
abuse as children, and found that the more severe the abuse and the
older the child was at the time of the abuse, the more likely the
abuse was to have been disclosed. They also found that the
relationship of the child to the abuser was not related to whether or
not the child disclosed the abuse. That result goes against a commonly
uttered belief that people repress memories of abuseby a close family
member.
Speaking at the same conference, anthropologist Alan Young, Ph.D.,
[4] reminded the audience that only a minority of people who
experience significant trauma go on to develop PTSD. He provided
evidence that PTSD is actually a heterogeneous classification, not a
unitary mechanism as most currently assume.
This issue contains a review of a paper suggesting an alternative
to the trauma model of child abuse (see below). The trauma model is a
"one-size-fits-all" model that predicts an inevitable course after a
child has been abused. A "Life Course Perspective" model, however,
predicts an indirect course. It suggests that the impact to the child
from abuse is a function of poor decisions that are made later because
a child does not have the emotional and cognitive skills needed to
manage the sexual ramifications of the abuse. This model can account
for the fact that not all who are abused seem to suffer adverse
outcomes later in life.
For the past decade, this newsletter has reported on research that
has thoroughly undermined the foundation of the trauma model of child
abuse. Yet, proponents of the model cling tenaciously to their
beliefs, ignoring the abundance of contradictory evidence. Below in
this issue, there is a note about a continuing education program that
promotes discredited notions. "Continuing miseducation" would be a
more apt description. There is still, unfortunately, no mechanism
within the professions to prevent continuing miseducation.
FMS news at the start of 2003 hints that some people are
initiating efforts to find ways to exonerate people who have been
falsely convicted. Stanley Fisher [5], speaking at the Boston
conference mentioned previously, noted that there is currently no
process in our legal system for exonerating someone and that the
stigma of a false accusation and conviction does not go away. People
who have been released from prison receive freedom, not exoneration.
Over the years, many people released from prison have filed lawsuits
hoping that they might find exoneration. The case of George Franklin
below falls into that category. So do several cases in Wenatchee. (See
Roberson below.)
With awareness about the unacceptable number of false convictions
growing -- perhaps because of high-profile mistakes such as the "New
York Jogger" case and the more than 100 death-row convictions
overturned because of DNA evidence -- the need for new laws is being
discussed. In Massachusetts, legislation has been introduced that
would allow wrongly convicted persons to sue the government (see
below). In England, the Mullin Report urges a review of all possible
cases of wrongful convictions (see below.)
Most families long to be exonerated. A note we received in
December captured the anquish, "When I read that there may not be a
need for FMSF any longer, I am reminded that we are still `pariahs' in
the eyes of our daughters -- and I shudder." For the fortunate
families in which there is a retraction, parents can feel exonerated.
For the rest of our falsely accused families, exoneration is
impossible. They were never legally charged, so there can be no court
review. There can never be a DNA review because there was never any
crime in the first place. These families will continue to do what they
have been doing: Rise above the stigma, and work to change the climate
surrounding accusations.
Education, education, education. Each person, professional or
family member, whose life has been touched by the false-memory tragedy
can help to continue improving the climate. Continue to educate people
with whom you come in contact about the tragic consequences when
science and evidence-based therapies are ignored. The alternative to
education is a "Legacy of `Junk Science'" (See below.)
Thank you for your generous support.
PAMELA
[1] Herbert, B. "That terrible time", New York Times, Dec. 14, 2002.
[2] McNally, R. "Science and Folklore of Traumatic Amnesia." Talk
presented at conference: Expert Testimony and Justice Gone Astray
-- Trauma, Memory, and Child Sexual Abuse, Boston University,
Nov. 1, 2002.
[3] Goodman, G., et al.(in press) "A Prospective Study of Memory for
Child Sexual Abuse: New Findings Relevant to the Repressed/Lost
Memory Controversy," Psychological Science.
[4] Young, A. "Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: The Harmony of
Illusions." Talk presented at conference: Expert Testimony and
Justice Gone Astray -- Trauma, Memory, and Child Sexual Abuse,
Boston University, Nov. 1, 2002.
[5] Fisher, S. "Wrongful Convictions of Child Sexual Abuse: What Can
Be Done?" Talk presented at conference: Expert Testimony and
Justice Gone Astray -- Trauma, Memory, and Child Sexual Abuse,
Boston University, Nov. 1, 2002.
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| SPECIAL THANKS |
| |
| We extend a very special `Thank you' to all of |
| the people who help prepare the FMSF Newsletter. |
| |
| EDITORIAL SUPPORT: Toby Feld, Allen Feld, Janet |
| Fetkewicz, Howard Fishman, Peter Freyd |
| COLUMNISTS: August Piper, Jr. and members |
| of the FMSF Scientific Advisory Board |
| LETTERS and INFORMATION: Our Readers |
+----------------------------------------------------+
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The Legacy of "Junk Science"
Elizabeth Loftus, who recently moved from Seattle, WA to Irvine, CA,
received a letter from a mother in Laguna Hills, CA, who wrote that
her daughter had been estranged from the family for three years. She
had accused her parents, uncle, and grandmother of sexual abuse. The
accusations were vague, and they came after the daughter had recovered
memories with a new therapist. The mother said that her daughter's
therapist had come highly recommended by the Orange county therapeutic
community. The therapist's name was Holly Ramona.
In case you have forgotten, the Ramona trial in 1994 was the first
in which a father sued his daughter's therapist. It is the subject of
an excellent 1997 book about the trial and the recovered memory
phenomenon: Spectral Evidence by Moira Johnston. Holly, the daughter
in the case, did not retract her accusations and went on to become a
therapist.
Wilson, A. "War & remembrance"
Orange County Register, Nov. 3, 2002.
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Sexual Contact Between Children and Adults:
A Life Course Perspective
Browning, C.R. & Laumann, E.O.
American Sociological Review, August 1997. Vol. 62, 540-560
Adult-child sex has been related to a host of later "symptoms," such
as low self-esteem, depression, anxiety, and sexual dysfunction. But
"why" this may be the case has not been clear. The most familiar
explanation has been what the authors of this article call the
"psychogenic" model, a perspective that views adult-child sex mostly
as a traumatic event that has consequences throughout the child's
life. This is the model associated with Post-Traumatic Stress
Disorder: The worse the trauma, the worse the symptoms.
Browning and Laumann suggest an alternative model to explain the
relationship between adult-child sex and adult pathology, and they
present data to support it. Their Life Course Perspective model
contains two key concepts: The first is "Trajectories" that are the
marked pathways through life; for example, marital or work histories
are considered trajectories. The second, "Transitions," are specific
events or turning points that are embedded in the trajectories; for
example, a marriage is considered a transition.
The authors observe that "within the context of a child's
unfolding life, adult-child sexual contact can be seen as a transition
to coupled sexual activity with an adult." For a number of reasons,
adult-child sex may "eroticize" the child and make him or her
vulnerable to later sexual experiences that result in adverse effects
in adulthood.
The "psychogenic" model leads to the prediction that the mental
condition resulting from adult-child sexual contact directly affects
the outcome of the child's life. The Life Course Perspective model, on
the other hand, suggests that the effect is indirect. It predicts that
adult-child sexual contact increases the likelihood that the child
will engage in potentially harmful sexual behavior in adolescence or
early adulthood that, in turn, creates adverse long-term consequences.
The "psychogenic" explanation predicts that the more traumatic the
sexual experience, the more severe long-term consequences will be.
However, the Life Course Perspective looks at the extent to which
adult-child sexual contact reinforces a sexual script that encourages
high-risk sexual activity in adolescence.
The authors used data from the National Health and Social Life
Survey (1992, University of Chicago). From this large body of data,
they analyzed responses from 1,749 women. They found that women who
were sexually abused are more sexually active in both adolescence and
adulthood; they have sex at earlier ages; and they have a greater
number of sexual partners in adulthood. They also are more likely to
contract sexually transmitted infections.
Browning and Laumann suggest that for females, sexual abuse seems
to provide access to sexuality in the absence of the emotional and
cognitive skills needed to manage sexual behavior. They note that the
sexual script developed during adult-child sex forms the basis on
which other sexual experiences are understood and that it pulls these
women into sexual trajectories that pose long-term risks. They suggest
that "the impact of adult-child sex is a function, primarily, of the
sexual pathway taken to adulthood -- those who avoid more active and
riskier sexual lives are significantly less likely to report adverse
outcomes later in life."
The psychogenic, event-centered approach to the long-term effects
of child abuse implies an inevitability of adverse effects; but this
model cannot account for the wide variation in human response to child
abuse, including many instances in which long-term serious
consequences are not observed. The Life Course Perspective model
provides a framework that not only can explain the wide range of
response to child sexual abuse, but can also provide a guide for
interventions. It is a model that merits further study and
consideration.
______________________________SIDEBAR_______________________________
/ \
| "Ask an Expert," |
| This American Life -- June 14, 2002 |
| |
| About people who turned to experts and got horrible advice. -- |
| Features the Rutherfords and a retracting therapist. |
| |
| www.thislife.org. tapes@thislife.org |
| Tapes: "Ask an Expert," # 215, 6/14/02, $12 . |
| . Producer: Elyse Spiegel |
\____________________________________________________________________/
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Notes from England
Mullin Committee Urges Review of Suspected Wrongful Convictions
For a number of years, England has had a rash of aallegations of
long-past sexual abuse occurring in state children's homes; the
government has offered compensation to the people who claimed to be
victims. Recently, under the chairmanship of Mr. Chris Mullin, MP, the
Home Affairs Committee of the House of Commons reviewed the situation
and issued a report. A press release dated October 30, 2002,
highlighted some of the observations and recommendations in that
report. They seem relevant in the broader context of false accusations
and false memories.
The report calls for a range of new safeguards and says that "a
new genre of miscarriages of justice" has arisen from what it calls
"the over-enthusiastic pursuit" of abuse allegations in children's
homes, many relating to incidents said to have occurred 20 or 30 years
ago. It also says that a large number of people who are not charged
may have had their lives ruined or seriously damaged by unfounded
allegations.
Mr. Bob Rullell, MP, commented:
"As this inquiry progressed, I became increasingly alarmed that
there are many men in prison who are almost certainly innocent of the
serious crimes for which they were convicted. The manner in which
evidence was given to the courts, with several people making near
identical allegations against one individual, helped create a climate
where the truth was difficult to determine."
The Committee noted: "No one wishes to minimize the suffering of
victims of abuse or the damage that it can do their lives" but went on
to point out that in too many cases there was not "evidence of
sufficient quality to satisfy the burden of proof."
Main recommendations in the report:
1. Few would dispute the claim that child-abuse allegations
require careful and sensitive investigation. We believe, however, that
when those allegations relate to long-past events, the investigation
should proceed with caution. Although some guidance has already been
produced, there remains a need for a clear set of prescriptive
guidelines governing the conduct of police investigations and
subsequent prosecution proceedings.In particular, there is an urgent
need for the proper recording -- either visual or audio -- of police
interviews of the complainant and of other significant witnesses.
2. Given the prejudicial nature of the offenses, and the serious
evidential difficulties, we believe there is a strong case for
establishing special safeguards for trials in historical child-abuse
cases. Although we reject the proposal for a statutory time limit, we
believe that some form of time limitation is necessary. For this
reason, we have recommended that, after a period of 10 years,
prosecutions should proceed only with the court's permission.
3. The use of similar allegations, as evidence to corroborate a
charge, is a particularly sensitive issue. However, given the dangers
of prejudice, we believe it is necessary to tighten the rules for
excluding such evidence, so that "similar fact" evidence is admitted
only if it bears a striking similarity to the evidence relating to the
charged offense.
4. The potential for compensation to act as an inducement for
giving false or exaggerated evidence during investigations of this
kind, is another area of real concern. To minimize this risk, we have
recommended that the working relationship between personal injury
solicitors and the police be guided by a "model relationship," to be
drawn up by the Home Office.
5. We are conscious of the fact that many of these recommendations
are simply closing the door after the horse has bolted. All the more
important, therefore, that the Criminal Cases Review Commission and
the appeal court take a robust approach to the review of suspected
wrongful convictions. In the meantime, much can be done to improve the
conduct of future investigations and prosecutions.
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BFMS Helping Set Guidelines
Great Britian's National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) has
announced that it has commissioned the National Collaborating Center
for Mental Health to develop a clinical guideline on depression in
children and young people. The British False Memory Society is
registered as a stakeholder organization, which enables it to
contribute to the process.
The NICE was set up as a Special Health Authority for England and
Wales in April 1999. It is part of the National Health Service, and
its role is to provide patients, health professionals, and the public
with authoritative and reliable guidance on current "best practice."
Organizations that represent people whose cases are described in the
guidelines are referred to as "stakeholders."
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Note from Denmark
About 30 FMS families in Denmark joined the Nordic FMS-Society
FFI. Over the years there have been five returners and just recently
the first retractor. She is a 39 year old woman whose parents have
been members of FFI for many years. Nine years ago when she was
depressed, she went to a charismatic regression-therapist and soon was
emeshed in recovering memories -- the typical story. Her condition
worsened so much that she believed she was faced with committing
suicide or returning to her parents. Fortunately, she decided to do
the latter. Just this fall, she returned home to her overjoyed
parents. Since then a great deal has happened.
* Danish television produced a story about the woman and her
family. They included Swedish FMS expert, Dr. Lena Hellblom Sjogren.
* On November 17, the leading Danish newspaper Politiken described
the problems of recovered memory therapy. (In fact, the reporters for
this article came to Philadelphia and interviewed Dr. Harold Lief, a
retractor, and the FMSF Executive Director.)
* The Scandinavian Journal of Psychology that arrived on November
29 had its lead article on the subject of recovered memories.
* The Finnish newspaper Huvud-stadbladet interviewed a Danish
family and had an article about false memories during the first week
of December.
What viewers and readers have seen was a revelation. In the last
ten years Norway has had 15 cases involving wrongful convictions, all
of them involving false sexual abuse allegations. In Norway, such
people have the right to be compensated and so far $2.5 million has
been paid. More cases are pending. Because of this, the Norwegian
government has formed a committee to prevent false allegations from
causing havoc.
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Nursery Workers Taken Off Pedophile List
Eight years after they were acquitted by a judge on charges that they
had molested children in their care at a nursery in Newcastle,
England, Dawn Reed and Christopher Lillie have had their names removed
from the government's pedophile list.
Reed and Lillie were originally charged in 1994, but they were
acquitted because of a lack of credible evidence. After the trial,
however, the Newcastle City Council commissioned an independent review
team to write a report. That report, issued in 1998, accused Reed and
Lillie of being pedophiles. After several years trying to clear their
names, Reed and Lillie discovered that they were still on the
Department for Education's secret dossier of people who are convicted
or suspected of abusing children. That meant that even if they had
wanted to, they could not work with children. In fact, the pair have
vowed never to work with children again.
Richard Osborne, attorney for Lillie and Reed, said that they
"felt as if it was an unwarranted accusation which was very much a
weight on their shoulders. The fact that they have had the humiliation
of being on the list shouldn't have happened, and it is something of a
great relief to have their names removed."
In July 2002, Dawn Reed and Christopher Lillie won a libel suit
against Newcastle City Council and were awarded the maximum amount of
money possible. See FMSF Newsletter Vol. 11, No. 5, for a brief
account of their incredible story.
Jennings, L.
"Cleared nursery workers taken off paedophiles list"
Northern Echo (GB), Dec. 7, 2002.
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Fight to Clear Name
On July 10, 1991, in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, the police rounded up
Kari and Richard Klassen along with 11 other people and charged them
with molesting three foster children in their care. The couple's
six-month-old baby and their two-year-old daughter were taken away
along with their other children. The three foster children had told
police that Richard and Kari had forced them to eat human eyeballs and
feces and have sex with animals in bizarre satanic rituals.
There was no satanic cult and no ritualistic abuse. The foster
children have stated recently that they lied to investigators and
stated that the investigators knew the truth for a long time. However,
at one point Klassen took a plea bargain and served a year in prison
because he thought this would exonerate the other people who had been
charged.
The prosecution finally abandoned the case and Richard Klassen
then began his fight to clear his name. He noted that the way the
charges had been disposed of left the impression that he and the
others who had been charged were guilty. He started by putting up
posters in downtown Saskatoon and protesting in front of the
courthouse in an effort to get rid of the stigma of having been
labeled as a child abuser. Klassen also filed a $10-million lawsuit
for malicious prosecution. He has been acting as his own lawyer even
though he has only a grade seven education. Klassen's fight got a big
boost when the CBC program Fifth Estate did an in-depth feature about
him in 2000.
Last June, Saskatoon policeman John Popowich received a
$1.3-million settlement in the Martensville case. (See FMSF Newsletter
Vol 11. No. 5.) Klassen thought this decision might be helpful to his
own case but that has not happened. Klassen said that financial
compensation is important in bringing his lawsuit, but that his two
main objectives are getting an apology and having a public inquiry.
His upcoming trial should provide a public inquiry.
Warick, J.
"Klassens await their day in court: A decade after the child abuse
charges, they are getting a chance to clear their names"
Star Phoenix (Saskatoon), Nov. 2, 2002.
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U.S. Supreme Court Will Review `Megan's Laws'
Megan's Laws refer to laws that require sex offenders to make their
whereabouts known, and to find a way to get that information to the
public. They were instituted during the 1990s after a particularly
heinous crime in New Jersey. Megan's Laws reflect the belief that sex
offenders are more likely to repeat their crimes than are other
criminals. According to an article in the New York Times, [1] the
number of people imprisoned for sex crimes from 1980 to 1994 grew at a
faster rate than for any other category of violent crime.
The laws have had many constitutional challenges at state
levels. Two Megan's Laws appeals are currently before the U.S. Supreme
Court and were argued on November 13. One was brought by Alaska in
which arguments were based on whether that state's laws are
punitive.[2] The other, brought by Connecticut, addresses due process
issues.[3]
[1] Greenhouse, L. "States' Listings of Sex Offenders Raise a Tangle
of Legal Issues," New York Times, Nov 4, 2002.
[2] Smith v. Doe, No. 01-729 , U.S. Ct. of App, 9th Cir.
[3] Connecticut Depart of Public Safety v Doe, No. 01-1231.
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C O N T I N U I N G E D U C A T I O N ?
A flyer for the following continuing education workshop crossed our
desk:
"It Wasn't a Dream: Recognizing and Analyzing, in Adult Patients,
the Symptoms of Childhood Sexual Abuse: A Workshop led by Robert R.
Barry, Ph.D., Saturday, Nov. 23, 2002"
"Training Institute for Mental Health Chartered by the Board of
Regents of the University of the State of New York, 22 West 21
Street, New York."
"The most careful and well conducted psychoanalyses and
psychotherapies may fail to UNCOVER TRAUMATIC SEXUAL ABUSE THAT IS
AT THE HEART OF THE PATIENT'S DIFFICULTIES. RARELY DO MEMORIES OF
ABUSE OCCUR CLEARLY AND DIRECTLY. INSTEAD THEY ARE REPRODUCED AS
SYMPTOMS, MENTAL DISTORTIONS, OR REENACTMENTS ..." [Emphasis added]
"Dr. Barry is a training analyst at the Training Institute for
Mental Health, also at the New York Freudian Society and NPAP. He is
a Fellow and Past President of the Council of Psychoanalytic
Psychotherapists and a member of the International Psychoanalytical
Association."
Obviously Dr Barry has not read what the professional organizations
have said about "symptoms" as signs of abuse. Continuing
"miseducation" might be a better description for this workshop.
_______________________________________
Professional Organizations' Comments on
Symptoms as Indicators of Past Abuse
"No specific unique symptom profile has been identified that
necessarily correlates with abuse experiences."
American Psychiatric Association
Position Statement on Therapies Focused on
Memories of Childhood Physical and Sexual Abuse
Approved 2000.
"There is no single set of symptoms which automatically indicates
that a person was a victim of childhood abuse. There have been media
reports of therapists who state that people (particularly women) with
a particular set of problems or symptoms must have been victims of
childhood sexual abuse. There is no scientific evidence that supports
this conclusion."
American Psychological Association
Questions and Answers about Memories of Childhood Abuse
1995
"Psychologists recognize that there is no constellation of
symptoms which is diagnostic of child sexual abuse."
Canadian Psychological Association
Position Statement on Adult Recovered
Memories of Childhood Sexual Abuse
1996
"Previous sexual abuse in the absence of memories of these events
cannot be diagnosed through a checklist of symptoms."
Royal College of Psychiatrists (UK)
Reported Recovered Memories of Sexual Abuse
1997
______________________________________________
Are Evidence-Based Psychological Interventions
Practiced by Clinicians in the Field?
Sanderson, W.C. Medscape Mental Health 7(1), 2002.
Reprinted from Mar/Apr 2002 FMSF Newsletter Vol 11 No. 2
The author notes that even though there are now many evidence-based
treatments (EBT) for specific psychiatric disorders and even though
these are recommended for use by professional organizations,
practitioners typically do not use them. Sanderson uses treatment for
panic disorder as an example. In a previous study the author found
that only 15% to 38% of patients with this condition received an
evidence-based psychological intervention. Even more disturbing is
that an identical study done 5 years later showed that the use of EBT
treatment had declined for this disorder.
Why don't therapists use therapies that have been shown to be safe
and effective? Sanderson suggests that (1) they do not have the skill
to administer these treatments; (2) CONTINUING-EDUCATION PROGRAMS DO
NOT REQUIRE TRAINING IN EBTS and (3) many clinicians have a negative
bias toward them. (emphasis added)
The author concludes that the failure to adopt evidence-based
therapies may have a "disastrous impact on the viability of
psychotherapy as the healthcare system evolves."
______________________________SIDEBAR_______________________________
/ \
| "We are constantly rewriting and redrawing our memories. It is not |
| like calling up fixed events. It is more like an artist painting |
| on a canvas -- taking some liberties, embellishing things here, |
| leaving things out there." |
| Henry L. Roediger III |
| quoted in Hathaway, W. |
| "Remembering: Back to Before" |
| Hartford Courant, Sept. 2, 2002 |
\____________________________________________________________________/
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L E G A L C O R N E R
FMSF Staff
_____________________________________________________________
Louisiana Supreme Court Opens Door for Repressed Memory Cases
Doe v. Archdiocese of New Orleans
2001-0739 (La. App. 4 Cir, 5/8/02)
2002 La. App. LEXIS 1757
In 1995, John Doe filed a civil suit alleging that Gerald A. Prinz, a
former Roman Catholic priest, had sexually abused him. Doe alleged
that he had only recently recovered the memories of this abuse by
Father Prinz when he was nine years old in 1973 in New Orleans and
later in 1978 in St. Louis. The plaintiff sued not only Prinz but also
the Roman Catholic Church in New Orleans and in St. Louis.
At the recommendation of his lawyer, John Doe was examined by
Edward H. Shwery, Ph.D., to determine whether Dr. Shwery thought that
this was a legitimate case of abuse, amnesia, and memory recovery.
Dr. Shwery stated in depositions and testimony that he believed that
the plaintiff was abused, that the plaintiff had repressed the
memories of it, and that the plaintiff had accurately recovered those
memories in 1994. The only corroborating evidence in the case is that
Doe's parents could place him at the rectory when the molestations
allegedly occurred on Easter weekend in 1973.
Church attorneys tried to have Dr. Shwery's testimony excluded as
unreliable and not scientific. However, the trial court judge ruled
that the psychologist's methods had met minimum legal tests. Church
lawyers appealed this decision, arguing that the trial court had
failed to subject the general theory of repressed memory to a process
of full scientific scrutiny and thus had failed in its gatekeeping
function. They argued that the trial court had erred in finding that
the general concept of repressed memory is reliable and in not
excluding Dr. Shwery's general opinions regarding repressed memory.
In May 2002, a three-judge panel of the state's 4th Circuit Court
of Appeal in New Orleans upheld the trial judge's decision that Doe's
memories were authentic and had been repressed for years. The church
attorneys then appealed to the Louisiana Supreme Court, which refused
to consider the case. This means that the John Doe case can now go to
trial.
Dwight C. Paulsen III, David E. Redmann, Jr., and Terrance
A. Prout of New Orleans represented the defendants. Jill Trahan and
Mike Gertler of New Orleans represented the plaintiff.
Church Defendants' Application for Supervisory Writs, No, 202-C,
Doe v Archdiocese of New Orleans et al.
Gyan, J. "Man to get hearing in abuse case," The Advocate,
Nov. 13, 2002.
"Lawsuit against priest cleared for trial," Associated Press Wire
Service, Nov. 13, 2002.
Nolan, B. "Suit charging priest with sex abuse OK'd; Man says he
repressed memories for years," Times-Picayune, May 11, 2002.
Rom, L. "A ruling in the case of John Doe v. Father Gerald Prinz
sets a state precedent in the controversial use of recovered memory,"
The Times of Acadiana, May 28, 2002.
______________________________SIDEBAR_______________________________
/ \
| Comments on Doe v. Archdiocese of New Orleans Appeal Decision |
| May 2002 [1] |
| |
| "Judicial skepticism is something that seems to very often go out |
| the window in these cases." |
| Tana Dineen, Ph.D. |
| Author, Manufacturing Victims |
| |
| "How do you disprove or prove that somebody influenced a child 10, |
| 15 years after the fact ... or did not? How do you sort out what |
| you experienced yourself from other people's perceptions that may |
| have shaped your recollections? Basically, I think this is a new |
| type of spectral evidence." |
| Peter Scharf |
| Director of the Center for Society, Law, and Justice |
| University of New Orleans |
| |
| "All of the medical associations have said the same thing -- that |
| in the absence of external corroboration, there's no way to know |
| the truth or the falsity of any memory. People recover memories |
| all the time. They recover things that are historically accurate, |
| and they very frequently have what seem to be memories that are |
| not historically accurate." |
| Pamela Freyd, Ph.D. |
| Executive Director, FMS Foundation |
| |
| "If these Catholic cases start hinging on repressed memory, then |
| we're going to see a new rash of cases brought against the |
| Church." |
| Elizabeth Loftus, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor |
| University of California, Irvine |
| |
| [1] Rom, L. "A ruling in the case of John Doe v. Father Gerald |
| Prinz sets a state precedent in the controversial use of |
| recovered memory," The Times of Acadiana, May 28, 2002. |
\____________________________________________________________________/
____________________________________________________________
Court Rules George Franklin May Not Sue Police and Attorneys
Franklin v. Fox
No.01-15052 U.S. App 9th Cir. 2002 U.S. App. LEXIS 24254
Nov. 27, 2002, Filed.
After a highly publicized trial in 1990, George Franklin was convicted
of the 1969 murder of his daughter's childhood friend, Susan Nason.
The only evidence in the trial was Franklin's daughter's memories that
she had recovered with the help of a therapist and hypnosis. The
Franklin case was the nation's first murder conviction based on
repressed memory, and it inspired similar prosecutions, books,
documentaries, and a TV movie.
After serving six years of a life sentence, Franklin was released
in 1995 because of errors in his state court trial. Although a new
trial was ordered for Franklin, San Mateo County District Attorney
James Fox declined to retry him, letting him go free.
Soon after his release, Franklin filed a civil suit in federal
district court alleging that his daughter conspired with detectives to
arrest him without probable cause. He also claimed that his daughter
conspired with the assistant district attorney and a jail official to
violate his rights. The district court granted summary judgment for
the district attorney, detectives, and a jail official, because they
met the criteria for qualified immunity in that they reasonably could
have believed his daughter at the time. The judges said that no
evidence of a conspiracy had been presented. The district court did
not grant summary judgment to the claims against Franklin's
daughter. On November 27, 2002, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals
agreed with the district court's decisions.
Still pending are allegations that the daughter conspired with her
therapist to concoct the damaging repressed-memory testimony. There is
no trial date set in that case. According to Richard Diestel of San
Francisco, the attorney for Eileen Franklin-Lipsker, Franklin's
daughter, "there will be additional discovery undertaken as to the
issue of whether in fact George Franklin committed the murder of Susan
Nason."
Dennis P. Riordan of San Francisco and Andrew C. Schwartz of
Walnut Creek, CA, represented George Franklin.
Richman, J.
"Court blocks suit in county repressed memory case"
San Mateo County Times, Nov. 28, 2002.
___________________________________________________________
Proposed Massachusetts Law Would Help Wrongfully Imprisoned
2002 Massachusetts HB 5199
The Massachusetts House of Representatives is considering a proposed
law that would allow people who have been wrongfully imprisoned the
right to get compensation from the Commonwealth.
The drafters of the proposed legislation noted that "innocent
persons who have been wrongly convicted of crimes and subsequently
imprisoned have difficulty achieving legal redress because of a
variety of substantive and technical obstacles in state law." They
wrote that the "criminal justice apparatus has seriously failed when
an innocent person is convicted and incarcerated." The law would
permit a person who was wrongfully convicted and who has demonstrated
that he or she did not commit the crime to make a claim against the
Commonwealth.
The Massachusetts House Committee on Public Safety has recommended
that the bill be passed.
________________________________________
California Waives Statute of Limitations
for Sexual Abuse Lawsuits Against Organizations
In July 2002, the Governor of California approved a bill [1] waiving
the statute of limitations in civil sexual abuse cases for the year
2003 only, to allow people whose lawsuits were previously dismissed on
the grounds of statute of limitations to refile. It does not seem to
have a bearing on cases of interest to the FMSF. In California, a
lawsuit for recovery of damages from childhood sexual abuse must be
brought within 8 years of the date the plaintiff reaches the age of
majority or within 3 years of the date the plaintiff discovers that
the psychological injury or illness occurring after the age of
majority was caused by sexual abuse. The new exception to the law
states that the current statutes of limitations do not apply
"if the person or entity knew or had reason to know, or was
otherwise on notice, of any unlawful sexual conduct by an employee,
volunteer, representative, or agent, and failed to take reasonable
steps, and to implement reasonable safeguards, to avoid acts of
unlawful sexual conduct in the future by that person, including, but
not limited to, preventing or avoiding placement of that person in a
function or environment in which contact with a child is an inherent
part of that function or environment. For purposes of this
subdivision, providing or requiring counseling is not sufficient, in
and of itself, to constitute a reasonable step or reasonable
safeguard."
[1] 2002 Cal ALS 149; 2002 Cal SB 1779; Stats 2002 ch 149.
Goodstein, L.
"California Dioceses Brace for New Abuse Suits
as Law Allows Litigation of Old Cases"
New York Times, Dec. 6, 2002.
_________________
Wenatchee Update:
Roberson Suit Reinstated
On October 30, 2002, Spokane County Superior Court Judge Michael E.
Donohue reinstated the civil rights lawsuit brought by Pastor Robert
Roberson and his wife, Jonathan and Honnah Sims, and Donna Rodriguez
against the city of Wenatchee, WA. The judge said that key files
concerning Wenatchee police detective Bob Perez had never been turned
over to the lawyers for the plaintiffs. He said that the lawyers for
Wenatchee had "blindsided and misled the plaintiffs" and also the
court. He said that Wenatchee was liable for all legal fees incurred
by the plaintiffs in pursuing the case.
In 1994 and 1995, Wenatchee received national attention for what
was then said to be the nation's most extensive child sex-abuse
investigation. Sixty adults were arrested and charged with 29,726
counts of child sex abuse involving 43 children.
Higher courts have now freed all of the 18 people who had been
convicted. The Innocence Project at the University of Washington Law
School was deeply involved with this work. Many of the accused were
poor, developmentally disabled and illiterate.
According to news reports, files in another former defendant's
civil lawsuit against Wenatchee indicated that Wenatchee Police
Department officials at the time were concerned about Perez's
emotional stability and his fitness for duty.
Robert Van Siclen, the attorney representing Roberson, told
Wenatchee reporters that "The people running your city should be
ashamed of what they've done to these people."
Barber, M.
"Suit against Wenatchee in sex cases reinstated"
Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Nov. 1, 2002.
Smith, L.
"Judge reinstates `sex ring' lawsuit;
Donohue: City's defense lawyers misled the plaintiffs and the court"
Wenatchee World, Nov. 1, 2002
___________________________________________________________
Excerpts from FMSF Newsletter, Vol. 7 No. 6, July/Aug. 1998
About the Reinstated Case
Wenatchee Civil Rights Case Sent to the Jury
Rodriguez, et al. v. Perez, et al.
Superior Ct., Chelan Co., Washington, No. 96-2-00704-2.
The primary plaintiffs in the $60 million civil lawsuit allege their
rights were violated when they were accused of child rape and
molestation in a 1994-95 sex-ring investigation. The defendants in the
case are the city of Wenatchee and two city police officials,
including Robert Perez, the lead detective in the case; the state of
Washington and Child Protective Services; and Douglas County and three
representatives of its Sheriff's Department.
On June 1, Judge Michael Donahue denied all motions from the City
of Wenatchee to dismiss claims against it, ruling that the city was
given enough notice of problems with its child sex-ring investigations
that its failure to address them may be evidence that it violated the
civil rights of those accused. The judge also let stand civil-rights
claims against three members of the Douglas County Sheriff's
Department but threw out a defamation claim against Douglas County. In
an 11-page ruling made just prior to defendants' presentation of their
case, Judge Donahue ruled there was evidence that Perez both coerced
witnesses to make accusations and retaliated against critics.
The judge said the evidence could show the city's responsibility
went to "the highest policy-making levels" when it allowed Perez, its
lead sex-abuse investigator, to function in "a conflict of interest"
by "acting at the same time as foster father of the primary
complaining witness... When faced with a conflict of interest,
Wenatchee defendants had the power to do something about it. The
Wenatchee defendants made a conscious decision to permit that
circumstance to continue."
The rulings on the civil-rights claims are significant because
those claims allow jurors to award big-money punitive damages if they
find authorities trampled the plaintiffs' rights.
Late in May, the judge dismissed four state Department of Social
and Health Services employees and a private counselor from the trial.
All five will be tried in a separate trial on similar claims.
Plaintiffs argue that Andrews used recovered memory therapy in
treating several of the children, including a girl who was one of the
chief accusers in the investigation.
The defense surprised the courtroom when it rested its case on
June 4, after calling 14 witnesses over a span of 5 days. In opening
arguments at the trial, Pat McMahon had told jurors he would prove
with medical evidence that the children were raped and molested in the
Wenatchee area by plaintiffs. The defense did not, however, call any
of the physicians who had performed colposcopic exams of seven
girls. McMahon said he only needed to prove "probable cause."
The plaintiffs, meanwhile, had emphasized themes of negligence and
constitutional rights violations by authorities, particularly evidence
so tainted that the accused could not fairly confront their accusers.
Detective Perez's name came up often in testimony.
A former social worker who said he was fired for criticizing the
investigation testified that Perez was abrasive and threatening when
he questioned people. Once in 1994, Perez placed his gun on a table as
he repeatedly told a third-grader that she wouldn't be allowed to go
back to school until she told him about abuse. "She was very scared,
and she started to cry," he said.
The jury heard from the oldest brother of two of Perez's foster
daughters. The boy said his sisters probably made up their accusations
under pressure from Perez and other authorities "because I felt
pressure when I was in an interview, and so I believe they could have
been pressured." One of the boy's younger sisters, now 15, implicated
dozens of people in the sex-abuse probe and was the foster daughter of
Perez. In 1996 she recanted the allegations, saying she had been
pressured by Perez into making them. She was then taken into state
custody and placed in a series of group homes and psychiatric
hospitals. In June 1998, the defense argued that she was too ill to
testify at the civil trial. A deposition was taken on Feb. 19, 1998,
in which the girl claimed she recanted because Pastor Roberson
threatened to kill her -- but said she couldn't remember the words
Roberson used to threaten her or how he did it. The jury viewed the
1996 video tape recantation and heard the 1998 deposition.
The biological parents of two foster children in Perez's home
confessed to sexual abuse during the scandal, but their mother -- who
is illiterate, with an IQ of 68 -- told the civil jury she confessed
only because "I was scared and I didn't know what to do." She said
Perez told her "if I would tell him something, he would let me go --
he wouldn't put me in jail." A veteran Wenatchee police sergeant who
was assigned to assist detective Perez testified about implausible
details he documented in his reports of interviews the two had
conducted. Perez had habitually destroyed not only his notes of
interviews but also the notes of other officials. The sergeant's notes
survived and contradicted some points in Perez' reports.
Elizabeth Loftus, a psychologist at the University of California,
Irvine, testified that authorities in Wenatchee should have been more
skeptical. "The sheer number of rapes and sodomies going on for so
many years while nobody noticed, you'd think would have raised a red
flag in someone's mind."
______________________________SIDEBAR_______________________________
/ \
| "Research on false memories shows how easy it is to implant |
| memories of things that never happened, while studies on |
| perception show that we regularly fail to see what is there in |
| front of our eyes -- a truth that keeps stage magicians in |
| work. Under the influence of drugs, sleep and disease, the brain |
| can conjure up a range of visions to rival anything found at |
| Hogwarts." |
| Burne, J. |
| "Hogwash, genealogy: a muggle's guide: |
| Is there any use in explaining how magic works?" |
| Financial Times (London) |
| Dec. 14, 2002 |
| Review of How Magic Really Works by Roger Highfield |
\____________________________________________________________________/
**********************************************************************
F R O M O U R R E A D E R S
____________________
After Fourteen Years
The FMSF staff has done a wonderful job. You are indeed a solid
backbone and treasure beyond words in the lives of those who are near
complete darkness and loss of hope. Your Foundation was our only ray
of hope that no one else was able to offer.
After approximately 14 years, our daughter did return on her
own. Now we are once again a family. This was beyond our dreams at one
time. She doesn't talk about what happened, and we don't pry; we are
just delighted to have her back. I do believe she wants to talk about
it but is not quite ready; that can wait.
She is back on track in real life. She bought a small house for
herself and has a job in her field. She is taking responsibility for
herself and all her present undertakings.
Please continue to work, even if it is only to save one more child
of God. I am sure He will reward you.
Grateful and happy mother
_________________________________
Circumstances Made Us Be Together
Part of my reason for not writing sooner has been the increasingly
complicated and time-consuming details relative to my wife's great
mental and physical deterioration because of her Parkinson's. Caring
for her is a 24-hour matter. I've been going down hill a lot
physically, too, unfortunately.
Last summer I saw my daughter briefly when she brought her mom
back from an appointment. It had been some nine years since I'd seen
her. A few weeks later, after bringing her mom home, I heard her
voice, since we were in close proximity. Her mom was giving her some
heirloom plates. Then a few weeks later, during her mom's pre-surgery
exam, my daughter and I had a long chat out in the waiting room about
all kinds of things -- as if nothing had happened. The point is that
necessary, unavoidable circumstances made us be together.
Since my wife has become totally unable to handle household
matters and our finances, my daughter and I have been working very
closely at least once a week. She has been truly wonderful in handling
things. Since I'm acutely aware of her limited time and energy, our
dealings have been mainly business, but very open and cordial. The
"problem" has never come up, so I have no idea how deeply her new view
of me goes or if she's actually come to separate fact from fantasy.
But she is definitely a returner.
A dad
__________
Here It Is
I didn't think I would address this news to you ever -- but here it
is. Two weeks ago my son called and suggested that I call my daughter.
Since I had not had any contact with her for years after she demanded
an apology for various misdemeanors and threatened her mother and me,
I hesitated; but my son was quite insistent, and so I called.
She seemed instantly overjoyed and thanked me profusely for taking
the initiative. We have since talked with her and the grandchildren
many times, and we maintain e-mail contact. However, we still have not
met in person, and I am quite anxious about an eye-to-eye meeting.
Our sincere thanks for your support.
A happy dad
__________________________
Excepts from Susan's Story
[Complete story can be found at www.StopBadTherapy.com]
When I was in my mid-twenties, I began long-term therapy for
depression. I was working in a Civil Service position and doing quite
well except that I was in an abusive relationship. I went to a
Christian therapist who had a BCSW. In the second year of therapy, he
said that I had a dissociative disorder" and that I was "fragmented."
I had never heard these terms before. He stated point blank: "You were
abused." I thought this was odd because my parents never hit me or
touched me inappropriately, or drank, or anything. He asked me how
many times a week my parents talked to their parents, and said that
once a week was normal. Since they didn't talk once a week, that meant
that they were estranged from their family. He said that my mother had
emotionally crippled me in order to keep me living at home.
Things got worse in the third year. Keep in mind that I had
experienced emotional problems all my life; I was so tired of being
sick that I was willing to do anything to get better. The therapist
said that I had multiple personality disorder (MPD) and instructed me
to "map" my "system" and to refer to myself as "we." He told me to
read Uncovering the Mysteries of MPD by James Friessen. I was told I
had to get worse before I could get better.
I had always been a hard worker, and I threw myself into MPD
culture. I read everything I could get my hands on. I went to therapy
twice a week in addition to group therapy. MPD culture became my whole
life. If I said that it didn't make sense, I was assured that it was
just my "denial" alter trying to protect me. I had 200 alters, and I
had to get extremely organized to keep up with them.
I don't even remember how I went from MPD to Satanic Ritual Abuse
(SRA), but everyone in the support group had it. I drew wonderful
gruesome pictures in art therapy. But I wasn't healing. By the end of
the year I became completely unable to function. My mother took my
children, and I was a powerless mess.
I broke contact with the therapist because I had to move. I had
never heard of False Memory Syndrome (FMS) and I knew nothing about
any controversy. Then I saw a television program about FMS and it made
a lot of sense. I began to have a sinking feeling. I asked my new
therapist about it, and she told me it was best if I didn't watch
things like that because it would only serve to feed my denial. She
said that the people who made up the concept of FMS were just
perpetrators who don't like being told on.
I put my nagging thoughts and feelings in the back of my head and
continued therapy. After all, I had already sacrificed everything --
job, kids, family, everything -- to the MPD/SRA cause. The thought
that it had all been a lie was too much to bear. Even considering the
possibility that all my effort might be for naught brought panic and
desperation.
I moved again and slowly started taking my children back. I found
a wonderful new therapist. Back when I was creating my "memories" with
the old therapist, I was told to suspend disbelief and do "what if"
exercises; I was supposed to imagine what might have happened. After I
did, I was told that it wasn't my imagination; I was told that it was
my subconscious bringing up actual memories. My new therapist, on the
other hand, said maybe it happened and maybe it didn't. She focused on
getting me stable in the here and now. We worked on what was not
functioning in my life and how to improve it. She opened my world to
all kinds of alternative ideas. I was finally able to speak out loud
that I knew that my SRA was not real and that the alters were not
real.
I believe that the reason I fell apart under the MPD diagnosis is
because it is expected that multiples behave a certain way and so I
fulfilled that expectation. My life got 110 percent better. I got off
medications. I am now a full-time student and president of the PTA at
my childrens' school. I have a busy and happy life.
I lost a lot because of FMS, and I am glad to be able to speak
about it now.
________________
The Best Present
We got the best Christmas present today: a card from one of our
accusing daughters! We have not heard from her for 15 years. She wants
to put the past behind and start fresh. She wants to open
communications again with us. She signed the note "Love."
We sent a note back right away saying "Yes!"
A happy mom and dad
________________
After Many Years
Although our family situation hasn't changed, we are comforted to know
there is someone out there who understands how we feel. Our friends
know our family situation and try to understand how difficult it is,
but if you haven't been there, it's impossible to know.
Although my wife and I aren't active with the FMSF now, we do
occasionally write letters or make contacts to make others aware of
the insane therapy or of the Foundation. Thank you for providing us
with a place to turn if we have questions and for the encouragement
and hope we feel when we read your monthly newsletter. Please
continue, since you are the only "light" we see in the darkness of
RMT.
A dad
___________________________
She'd Look for Sexual Abuse
It's wonderful news that fewer families are being accused, but the
legacy lingers on. I think I told you my friend is doing a Master's
and as part of his psychology course, a case history of a depressed
woman was presented, and then the students were asked to comment. One
of them, a woman social worker, immediately said, "I'd look for a
history of sexual abuse, probably in her childhood"... My friend
ripped into her, but it just shows how it's still there.
Concerned
_____________
Disillusioned
As a volunteer FMSF contact, I have not received any new phone calls
for a year or so. While I am sure this type of accusation still
exists, it would take much renewed and refreshing effort to bring this
type of family destruction to the fore. Sadly to say, our group is
old, disillusioned, hurt, perhaps bitter; it does not, in the main,
have the vigor of "go-get-em" youth. Their cries of "investigate me,
on what basis can you accuse me of such criminal and shameful acts and
be accuser, jury and judge, and leave me for dead," have been
disregarded.
A mom
______________________________SIDEBAR_______________________________
/ \
| One Parent In Touch |
| |
| We are in the process of forming a group for those families where |
| only one parent is in touch with the accuser. The aim is for |
| these families to share experiences and advice by e-mail or mail. |
| Any such family anywhere in the world may join. |
| |
| To participate send your name, address, phone number, and e-mail |
| address (if you have one) to: |
| |
| OPIT, Illinois-Wisconsin FMS Society |
| P.O. Box 3332, Joliet, IL 60434 or |
| e-mail president@IllinoisFMS.org |
| Larry Koszewski, President, IWFMSS |
\____________________________________________________________________/
**********************************************************************
VIDEO UPDATE
We apologize for the long delay.VHStapes arrived Dec. 16;
DVDs have not arrived as of January 2, 2003.
All VHS orders received by Decemberr 16, were mailed on
December 17, 2002.
LAST CALL FOR ORDERS: There are 15 VHS sets and 3 DVD sets
remaining. Orders will be filled as received until supply is gone.
False Memory Syndrome Foundation
and
Illinois-Wisconsin FMS Society
OCTOBER 5 & 6, 2002 NATIONAL CONFERENCE VIDEO ORDER FORM
Videos of this conference are available on VHS and DVD while supplies
last. The content of each tape is listed below. Please enter the
quantity of each tape on the line under the desired format column.
Tape Contents (Q&A included with each session) VHS DVD
Tape 1 Welcome (30 min), Retractor Panel (60 min) ____ ____
Tape 2 PAUL R. McHUGH, M.D. (60 min),
HERZL R. SPIRO, M.D., Ph.D. (60 min) ____ ____
Tape 3 HAROLD I. LIEF, M.D. (45 min),
Professional Panel (75 min) ____ ____
Tape 4 WILLIAM SMOLER, J.D. (60 min) ____ ____
Tape 5 Religious-Affiliated Panel, (75 min),
Wrap-Up (15 min) ____ ____
No. of VHS tapes: ______ x $12 each = subtotal $_________
No. of DVD discs: ______ x $25 each = subtotal $_________
total $_________
Name: _______________________________________________
Address: _____________________________________________
City: _____________________________Phone:_______________
State: ______________ZIP__________ Date:_________________
Please make checks payable to: The False Memory Syndrome Foundation or
provide credit card information (minimum credit card purchase $25)
Name on card__________________________________________
Card #________________________________Expiration_______
Visa____ Discover____ Mastercard____
Please send this form to:
The False Memory Syndrome Foundation
1955 Locust Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103-5766
Telephone: 215-940-1040, Fax: 215-940-1042.
**********************************************************************
* N O T I C E S *
**********************************************************************
* *
* CHILD ABUSE ALLEGATIONS: SCIENCE vs. SUSPICION *
* March 13-15, 2003 New Orleans, LA *
* Sponsored by the National Child Abuse Defense & Resource Center *
* *
* Thursday, March 13 *
* *
* BRUCE LYONS, J.D. *
* Overview and Current Trends in Child Abuse Cases *
* JUDGE JAMES BARBER, J.D. *
* Educating Your Resistant Judge *
* JUDGE ROBERT KERN, J.D. *
* Ethical Obligations in Defending Abuse Allegations *
* BARRY SCHECK, J.D. *
* DNA and Other Issues *
* LYNN MASKEL, M.D. *
* Defending Juvenile Offenders Accused of Sex Abuse *
* MELVIN GUYER, J.D., Ph.D. *
* Use and Misuse of Psychological Tests in the Courts *
* MARGARET-ELLEN PIPE, Ph.D. and PHILLIP ESPLIN, Ed.D. *
* Psychological Factors Involved in *
* Memory Distortion vs. Intentional Deceit: *
* Forensic Implications; *
* A Review of the Relevant Scientific Literature *
* *
* Workshops Session 1 Options *
* Shaken Baby Syndrome: Dr. PLUNKETT & Dr. USCINKSI *
* Voir Dire, Jury Selection, Opening/Closing: *
* JOE GUSTAFERRO and NANCY HOLLANDER *
* No Budget Defense: DONALD SAUVIAC *
* Cross Examination of Experts/Kids: RICHARD LOUGEE *
* *
* Friday, March 14 *
* *
* STEVE HART, Ph.D. *
* Predator Issues: Fact vs. Fiction *
* RICHARD OFSHE, Ph.D. *
* False Confessions of Child Abuse: *
* Why Would Someone Confess If It Weren't True? *
* COLIN PATERSON, M.D. *
* Temporary Brittle Bone and *
* Other Disorders as Causes of Unexplained Fractures *
* FARIS BANDAK, M.D. *
* Shaken Baby Syndrome: Science versus Suspicion *
* Dr. KRIS SPERRY *
* What to Look for in Pathology Reports *
* *
* Workshops Session 2 Options *
* Shaken Baby Syndrome: Dr. PLUNKETT and Dr. USCINKSI *
* Private Investigations: HARVEY SHAPIRO and JIM LaRIVIERE *
* Cross-Examination of Cops/Experts/Kids: *
* MIKE ROTHSCHILD and M. BRADLEY WISHEK *
* Child Abuse Allegations in Family/Juvenile Court: *
* MICHAEL HUMISTON *
* *
* Saturday, March 15 *
* *
* STEPHEN GUERTIN, M.D. *
* Medical Sexual Abuse: What is Real, What is Not *
* ANTHONY SHAW, M.D. *
* Bruises and Burns: Differentiating Between Abuse and Non-Abuse *
* ROGER MARKS LeJEUNESSE, Ph.D. *
* Differentiating Between Real and Computer-Generated Porn: *
* Ashcroft Case *
* MARCUS LAWSON, J.D. and RAMONA LAWSON *
* Computer Hard Drive Verification: What's Yours? What's Not? *
* *
* FOR MORE INFORMATION OR REGISTRATION MATERIAL *
* NCADRC, P.O. Box 638, Holland, OH 43528 *
* Fax# 419-865-0526 *
* www.falseallegation.org *
* NCADRC@bigfoot.com *
* *
**********************************************************************
* FREE *
* "Recovered Memories: Are They Reliable?" *
* Call or write the FMS Foundation for pamphlets. Be sure to *
* include your address and the number of pamphlets you need. *
**********************************************************************
* *
* WEB SITES OF INTEREST *
* *
* http://comp.uark.edu/~lampinen/read.html *
* The Lampinen Lab False Memory Reading Group *
* University of Arkansas *
* *
* www.tmdArchives.org *
* The Memory Debate Archives *
* *
* www.francefms.com *
* French language website *
* *
* www.StopBadTherapy.com *
* Contains phone numbers of professional regulatory boards *
* in all 50 states *
* *
* www.IllinoisFMS.org *
* Illinois-Wisconsin FMS Society *
* *
* www.ltech.net/OHIOarmhp *
* Ohio Group *
* *
* www.afma.asn.au *
* Australian False Memory Association. *
* *
* www.bfms.org.uk *
* British False Memory Society *
* *
* www.geocities.com/retractor *
* This site is run by Laura Pasley (retractor) *
* *
* www.geocities.com/therapyletters *
* This site is run by Deb David (retractor) *
* *
* www.sirs.com/uptonbooks/index.htm *
* Upton Books *
* *
* www.angelfire.com/tx/recoveredmemories *
* Having trouble locating books *
* about the recovered memory phenomenon? *
* Recovered Memory Bookstore *
* *
* www.religioustolerance.org/sra.htm *
* Information about Satanic Ritual Abuse *
* *
* www.werkgroepwfh.nl *
* Netherlands FMS Group *
* *
* www.angryparents.net *
* Site run by David Hunter *
* *
* www.geocities.com/newcosanz *
* New Zealand FMS Group *
* *
* LEGAL WEBSITES OF INTEREST *
* www.caseassist.com *
* www.findlaw.com *
* www.legalengine.com *
* www.accused.com *
* *
**********************************************************************
_____________________________________
F M S B U L L E T I N B O A R D
Contacts & Meetings:
_____________
UNITED STATES
ALABAMA
See Georgia
ALASKA
Kathleen 907-333-5248
ARIZONA
Phoenix
Pat 480-396-9420
ARKANSAS
Little Rock
Al & Lela 870-363-4368
CALIFORNIA
Sacramento
Joanne & Gerald 916-933-3655
Jocelyn 530-873-0919
San Francisco & North Bay
Charles 415-984-6626 (am); 415-435-9618 (pm)
San Francisco & South Bay
Eric 408-738-0469
East Bay Area
Judy 925-952-4853
Central Coast
Carole 805-967-8058
Palm Desert
Eileen and Jerry 909-659-9636
Central Orange County - 1st Fri. (MO) @ 7pm
Chris & Alan 949-733-2925
Covina Area - 1st Mon. (MO) @7:30pm
Floyd & Libby 626-330-2321
San Diego Area
Dee 760-439-4630
COLORADO
Colorado Springs
Doris 719-488-9738
CONNECTICUT
S. New England
Earl 203-329-8365 or
Paul 203-458-9173
FLORIDA
Date/Boward
Madeline 954-966-4FMS
Central Florida - Please call for mtg. time
John & Nancy 352-750-5446
Sarasota
Francis & Sally 941-342-8310
Tampa Bay Area
Bob & Janet 727-856-7091
GEORGIA
Atlanta
Wallie & Jill 770-971-8917
ILLINOIS
Chicago & Suburbs - 1st Sun. (MO)
Eileen 847-985-7693 or
Liz & Roger 847-827-1056
Peoria
Bryant & Lynn 309-674-2767
INDIANA
Indiana Assn. for Responsible Mental Health Practices
Pat 260-489-9987
Helen 574-753-2779
KANSAS
Wichita - Meeting as called
Pat 785-738-4840
KENTUCKY
Louisville- Last Sun. (MO) @ 2pm
Bob 502-367-1838
MAINE
Rumford
Carolyn 207-364-8891
Protland - 4th Sun.(MO)
Wally & Boby 207-878-9812
MASSACHUSETTS/NEW ENGLAND
Andover - 2nd Sun. (MO) @ 1pm
Frank 978-263-9795
MICHIGAN
Grand Rapids Area-Jenison - 1st Mon. (MO)
Bill & Marge 616-383-0382
Greater Detroit Area
Nancy 248-642-8077
Ann Arbor
Martha 734-439-4055
MINNESOTA
Terry & Collette 507-642-3630
Dan & Joan 651-631-2247
MISSOURI
Kansas City - Meeting as called
Pat 785-738-4840
St. Louis Area - call for meeting time
Karen 314-432-8789
Springfield - 4th Sat. Jan,Apr,Jul,Oct @12:30pm
Tom 417-753-4878
Roxie 417-781-2058
MONTANA
Lee & Avone 406-443-3189
NEW HAMPSHIRE
Mark 802-872-0847
NEW JERSEY
Southern
Sally 609-927-5343
Northern
Nancy 973-729-1433
NEW MEXICO
Albuquerque -2nd Sat. (bi-MO) @1 pm
Southwest Room - Presbyterian Hospital
Maggie 505-662-7521 (after 6:30 pm)
Sy 505-758-0726
NEW YORK
Manhattan
Michael 212-481-6655
Westchester, Rockland, etc.
Barbara 914-761-3627
Upstate/Albany Area
Elaine 518-399-5749
NORTH CAROLINA
Susan 704-538-7202
OHIO
Cincinnati
Bob 513-541-0816 or 513-541-5272
Cleveland
Bob & Carole 440-356-4544
OKLAHOMA
Oklahoma City
Dee 405-942-0531
Tulsa
Jim 918-582-7363
OREGON
Portland area
Kathy 503-557-7118
PENNSYLVANIA
Harrisburg
Paul & Betty 717-691-7660
Pittsburgh
Rick & Renee 412-563-5509
Montrose
John 717-278-2040
Wayne (includes S. NJ) - 2nd Sat. (MO)
Jim & Jo 610-783-0396
TENNESSEE
Nashville - Wed. (MO) @1pm
Kate 615-665-1160
TEXAS
Houston
Jo or Beverly 713-464-8970
El Paso
Mary Lou 915-591-0271
UTAH
Keith 801-467-0669
VERMONT
Mark 802-872-0847
VIRGINIA
Sue 703-273-2343
WASHINGTON
Kathy 503-557-7118
WISCONSIN
Katie & Leo 414-476-0285 or
Susanne & John 608-427-3686
_____________
INTERNATIONAL
BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA
Vancouver & Mainland
Lloyd 250-741-8941
Victoria & Vancouver Island
John 250-721-3219
MANITOBA
Roma 240-275-5723
ONTARIO, CANADA
London
Adriaan 519-471-6338
Ottawa
Eileen 613-836-3294
Warkworth
Ethel 705-924-2546
Burlington
Ken & Marina 905-637-6030
Waubaushene
Paula 705-543-0318
QUEBEC, CANADA
St. Andre Est.
Mavis 450-537-8187
AUSTRALIA
Evelyn
everei@adam.com.au
ISRAEL
FMS ASSOCIATION fax-(972) 2-625-9282
NETHERLANDS
Task Force FMS of Werkgroep Fictieve
Herinneringen
Anna (31) 20-693-5692
NEW ZEALAND
Colleen (09) 416-7443
SWEDEN
Ake Moller FAX (48) 431-217-90
UNITED KINGDOM
The British False Memory Society
Madeline (44) 1225 868-682
______________________________________________________
Deadline for the March/April Newsletter is FEBRUARY 15
Meeting notices MUST be in writing
and should be sent no later than TWO MONTHS PRIOR TO MEETING.
+--------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Do you have access to e-mail? Send a message to |
| pjf@cis.upenn.edu |
| if you wish to receive electronic versions of this newsletter and |
| notices of radio and television broadcasts about FMS. All the |
| message need say is "add to the FMS-News". It would be useful, but |
| not necessary, if you add your full name (all addresses and names |
| will remain strictly confidential). |
+--------------------------------------------------------------------+
**********************************************************************
The False Memory Syndrome Foundation is a qualified 501(c)3 corpora-
tion with its principal offices in Philadelphia and governed by its
Board of Directors. While it encourages participation by its members
in its activities, it must be understood that the Foundation has no
affiliates and that no other organization or person is authorized to
speak for the Foundation without the prior written approval of the Ex-
ecutive Director. All membership dues and contributions to the Founda-
tion must be forwarded to the Foundation for its disposition.
**********************************************************************
Pamela Freyd, Ph.D., Executive Director
FMSF Scientific and Professional Advisory Board, January 1, 2003
AARON T. BECK, M.D., D.M.S., U of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA;
TERENCE W. CAMPBELL, Ph.D., Clinical and Forensic Psychology,
Sterling Heights, MI;
ROSALIND CARTWRIGHT, Ph.D., Rush Presbyterian St. Luke's Medical
Center, Chicago, IL;
JEAN CHAPMAN, Ph.D., University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI;
LOREN CHAPMAN, Ph.D., University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI;
FREDERICK C. CREWS, Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley, CA;
ROBYN M. DAWES, Ph.D., Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA;
DAVID F. DINGES, Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA;
HENRY C. ELLIS, Ph.D., University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM;
FRED H. FRANKEL, MBChB, DPM, Harvard University Medical School;
GEORGE K. GANAWAY, M.D., Emory University of Medicine, Atlanta, GA;
MARTIN GARDNER, Author, Hendersonville, NC;
ROCHEL GELMAN, Ph.D., Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ;
HENRY GLEITMAN, Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA;
LILA GLEITMAN, Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA;
RICHARD GREEN, M.D., J.D., Charing Cross Hospital, London;
DAVID A. HALPERIN, M.D., Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY;
ERNEST HILGARD, Ph.D., (deceased) Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA;
JOHN HOCHMAN, M.D., UCLA Medical School, Los Angeles, CA;
DAVID S. HOLMES, Ph.D., University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS;
PHILIP S. HOLZMAN, Ph.D., Harvard University, Cambridge, MA;
ROBERT A. KARLIN, Ph.D. , Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ;
HAROLD LIEF, M.D., University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA;
ELIZABETH LOFTUS, Ph.D., University of California, Irvine, CA;
SUSAN L. McELROY, M.D., University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH;
PAUL McHUGH, M.D., Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD;
HAROLD MERSKEY, D.M., University of Western Ontario, London, Canada;
SPENCER HARRIS MORFIT, Author, Westford, MA;
ULRIC NEISSER, Ph.D., Cornell University, Ithaca, NY;
RICHARD OFSHE, Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley, CA;
EMILY CAROTA ORNE, B.A., University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA;
MARTIN ORNE, M.D., Ph.D., (deceased) U of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
LOREN PANKRATZ, Ph.D., Oregon Health Sciences Univ., Portland, OR;
CAMPBELL PERRY, Ph.D., Concordia University, Montreal, Canada;
MICHAEL A. PERSINGER, Ph.D., Laurentian University, Ontario, Canada;
AUGUST T. PIPER, Jr., M.D., Seattle, WA;
HARRISON POPE, Jr., M.D., Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA;
JAMES RANDI, Author and Magician, Plantation, FL;
HENRY L. ROEDIGER, III, Ph.D. ,Washington University, St. Louis, MO;
CAROLYN SAARI, Ph.D., Loyola University, Chicago, IL;
THEODORE SARBIN, Ph.D., University of California, Santa Cruz, CA;
THOMAS A. SEBEOK, Ph.D., (deceased) U of Indiana, Bloomington, IN;
MICHAEL A. SIMPSON, M.R.C.S., L.R.C.P., M.R.C, D.O.M., Center for
Psychosocial & Traumatic Stress, Pretoria, South Africa;
MARGARET SINGER, Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley, CA;
RALPH SLOVENKO, J.D., Ph.D., Wayne State University Law School,
Detroit, MI;
DONALD SPENCE, Ph.D., Robert Wood Johnson Medical Ctr, Piscataway, NJ;
JEFFREY VICTOR, Ph.D., Jamestown Community College, Jamestown, NY;
HOLLIDA WAKEFIELD, M.A., Institute of Psychological Therapies,
Northfield, MN;
CHARLES A. WEAVER, III, Ph.D. Baylor University, Waco, TX
**********************************************************************
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**********************************************************************